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Leadership Training Programs

In a Nutshell

A goal of OneSTL is to promote civic engagement, particularly among minorities and underrepresented groups. Leadership training programs can spur people to become more engaged by giving them the opportunity to discover the confidence and ability to become effective leaders. The tool is intended to introduce the reader to several leadership courses offered locally and nationally.

Practical Solution

When looking into training programs it is important to know what you are looking for. Leadership training is often confused for management training and vice versa. The organizations providing the leadership programs listed below will be able to help you find the program right for you. While leadership and management are similar, they are in reality very different. The distinction is not always all that clear, but you will find that the training is different.

Below is a list of organizations and courses that are available locally:

FOCUS St. Louis- FOCUS“is the region’s premier leadership organization. It’s a nonprofit that develops and connects diverse leaders from public, private, and civic sectors, and empowers them to work together to build a thriving St. Louis community.” The organization’s mission is “to create a cooperative, thriving region by engaging citizens in active leadership roles and to influence positive community change.” To that end, FOCUS has leadership development programs and citizen engagement activities.

Below are the FOCUS leadership programs:Youth Leadership St. Louis (YLSL)- Prepares high school juniors from local area schools for a life of leadership. The program strengthens an individual's leadership, character and team-building skills.

Emerging Leaders- Offers “young professionals the chance to develop leadership skills, define their personal brand, determine which causes or issues most energize them, and discover how to leverage their strengths to benefit the community.”Coro Fellows Program in Public Affairs- is an “intense, nine-month, full-time professional development program” that uses experiential learning programs to provide valuable critical thinking, communication and project management experience.

Coro Women in Leadership- is a five-month, part-time program that gives women the “opportunity to refine their leadership competencies, learn about the community, and connect with other women.”

Leadership St. Louis (LSL)- this is the premiere St. Louis leadership program. The “program brings together a diverse group of emerging and existing leaders and provides community immersion experiences and advanced skill development which enable participants to explore critical issues in our region.”

Experience St. Louis (ESL)- “the program is for executives and their spouses or partners who are new to the community, as well as others recently promoted to senior-level positions who would benefit from a greater knowledge of the region.”

The citizen engagement activities are listed one the citizen engagement webpage. These activities provide an excellent opportunity to discuss regional issues and concerns, and to network with other people in the region.

Regional Business Council’s Young Professionals Network (YPN)- YPN’s goal is “to attract and retain young talent to the region and to give future leaders unique opportunities for networking, professional development and community involvement. The Young Professional Network is open to ethnically diverse professionals under 40. Members have the opportunity to attend social, philanthropic, cultural and professional development opportunities throughout the year.” Member requires no fee.

St. Louis Business Diversity Initiative Fellows Program- This program “establishes a framework to enhance leadership capacity. The program further refines leadership competencies through a strategic curriculum and the sharing of wisdom and best practices.” There are opportunities for professional development, relationship building and civic engagement. The fellows program is one of the Initiative’s main programs to promote diverse, inclusive and welcoming environments for multicultural talent.

Latino Leadership Institute- This is a “skills-based leadership training program targeted at young Hispanic professionals.” The Institute consists of nine sessions once a month. Each session focuses on a particular area of leadership development.

The Consortium for Leadership Development (CLD)- CLD “is an association of high-profile corporate executives, entrepreneurs, and educators who have joined forces to create a training program for high-potential individuals and emerging business leaders; leaders, who will be able to guide this nation and the world in years to come.”

Leadership Training from Outside of the Region:

Dale Carnegie Training- Dale Carnegie training is provided locally through the Dale Carnegie St. Louis Office. Founded in 1912, Dale Carnegie provides individuals with the tools and skills needed to be successful in their field, whether you are a high ranking CEO or a homemaker, you can benefit from taking a Dale Carnegie course. The courses range from the basic Dale Carnegie Human Relations course to High Impact Presentations to Leadership Training for Managers.

American Management Association (AMA)- AMA offers leadership seminars throughout the country. These include general leadership/managment seminars and specific seminars such as "Developing Executive Leadership Skills" and "Critical Thinking." If you go to the link above, you can click on a link to specific program to see when it is being brought to the region.

Most of the programs discussed above require fees to participate. Some employers may have professional development money set aside for these kinds of activities.

Leadership training programs often times exist with little to no help from any government entity. Programs like Leadership St. Louis have classes where participants meet with government employees and officials. Beyond this interaction, a city's interaction with its leadership program varies greatly. It is interesting to note that depending on the community, a city's version of "Leadership St. Louis" is run by a different entity. Leadership Cape Girardeau, of Cape Girardeau Missouri, is hosted by the local chamber of commerce. Likewise, Leadership Perryville, of Perryville Missouri, is also hosted by the local chamber of commerce. In Kissimmee, FL the city actually hosts several leadership programs including a program targeted to high schoolers. One of those programs is their version of leadership St. Louis.

FOCUS- St. Louis leadership program fees:

Youth Leadership St. Louis- $500 fee, paid for by a participant’s school and contributions from the community.

Emerging Leaders- $500 fee

Coro Women In Leadership- $2000 fee, which is often paid for by the participant’s employer.

Coro Fellowship Program in Public Affairs- $4000 fee, $350 of which must be paid upon acceptance into the program. Scholarships are awarded on merit and/or financial need.

Experience St. Louis- $800 for an executive and $1400 for the executive and partner

Leadership St. Louis- $4000, financial assistance provided for those who demonstrate a need.

The Dale Carnegie training fees

Dale Carnegie is a for-profit company but trainers do provide scholarships and discounts for those who demonstrate a need. The cost of a course depends on the course and course location. Participants can expect to pay $1,500 and above Course fees are quoted for each course offered on the Dale Carnegie website. Participants’ companies are also known to pay the course fee as well.

American Management Association fees

These fees are also dependent on the course and course location. Please refer to the American Management Association website.

The success of a leadership program can be measured in two ways. The first is asking training participants whether they have gained any new skills or insights. The second is by the trainee’s fellow employees how it is to work with them. The best way to do this is by surveying employees before and after the training course. The first survey serves as a baseline, and the second shows how the person improved.

It is important to remember that leadership training does not end after the course, but is a process of continual improvement. Hopefully, leadership participants continue to reap the benefits of the course as time progresses.